AWOP PODCAST EPISODES
A World On Purpose explores stories, lessons, and innovative actions from change-makers who align their lives and careers with purpose, highlighting the key “Pivot To Purpose” that unleashes a positive, measurable impact on humanity.
Creator and Host Elissa Fisher Harris takes us on a journey through A World On Purpose Podcast dedicated to those humans choosing to live larger by working for the greater good…these are their stories.
Chance Foreman, founder of That Step Productions, believes in the power of using filmmaking to bring meaning and purpose into people’s lives. After moving to Venice CA, Chance began his career working with award-winning directors Josh and Rebecca Tickell on the film “Kiss The Ground.” Today, Chases makes it his mission to continue working with impactful people in the hopes of creating films with integrity, direction, and purpose. Hear how he takes "That Step" in helping to better the world through media.
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Connect with That Step Productions via website | instagram | facebook | linkedin
Connect with Chance via instagram
#thatstepproductions
Shelby Scarbrough, author of “Civility Rules! Creating A Purposeful Practice Of Civility” & founder of Practical Protocol, began her career as a political appointee in the Reagan and Bush administrations. Today, Shelby is helping to shed light on the power of practicing civility and the meaningful impact it can hold on society. In this episode, Shelby discusses her inspiring upbringing in politics among figures such as Nelson Mandela and how she found her #pivot2purpose by building practices of civility.
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Connect with Shelby via website | linkedin | facebook | instagram | twitter
#JoyJrny #Joy #ChooseJoy #JoyJourneyLife #Civility #CivilityRules
Krista Kleiner, former Miss Philippines and now founder of The One Heart Movement, shares her journey of growing up in adversity and witnessing Filipino nurses risking their lives on the front line of the COVID pandemic. Feeling inspired by their effort during these challenging times, Krista begins her story with a movement that has inspired millions around the world. Hear how she takes the world by storm in her effort to raise awareness for healthcare workers, racial injustice, and the environment.
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Connect with Krista via website | linkedin | instagram | twitter | tiktok
#TheOneHeartMovement #CommunityLove #Philanthrop
Starting her career as an NFL cheerleader and managing PR for the Raiders, Nicole Rodrigues ventured into the world of public relations head-first. With over 21+ years of experience in PR, she became a powerhouse founding her own agency called NRPR Group and the Young Dreamers Foundation. Listen to how Nicole paved the way for her life in both profit and purpose making an impact within her own career, but also influencing the careers of the next generation leaders.
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Connect with Nicole via linkedin | instagram | facebook
Connect with NRPR Group via website | linkedin | instagram | facebook | twitter | youtube
#NRPRGroup #BeverlyHillsBoss #FemaleCEO #YoungDreamers #PR #PublicRelations
Shaahin Cheyene, aka the “Willy Wonka of Generation X”, is widely known for founding Accelerated Intelligence, the leading brain health supplement manufacturer and the top Amazon marketing firm in the U.S. Shaahin is also an award-winning business mogul, author, filmmaker, and inventor. In this episode, Shaahin describes his difficult upbringing and how his passion for entrepreneurship has led him from earning zero income and sleeping on a beach to a multi-million dollar career that has surpassed Fortune 500 companies in sales, and empowers others to do the same.
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Connect with Shaahin via website | fbasellercourse.com | twitter | instagram
Widely known for her work in science communications and world-renowned television shows such as “Xploration Nature Knows Best”, Danni Washington, AKA "Mocha Mermaid,” has paved the way for educating the youth on the importance of ocean conservation and mitigating climate change. Hear how her inspiring story has led her to a path to purpose in environmentalism, connecting to individuals around the world and becoming a role model for young girls all over the world thinking about pursuing a career in STEM.
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Connect with Danni via website | instagram | facebook | twitter
Connect with Big Blue and You via website | instagram | facebook | twitter
#sciencecommunicator #mochamermaid
Ron Garan, former Air Force Colonel, NASA Astronaut, speaker & author of the critically acclaimed book, “The Orbital Perspective” and new book "Floating in Darkness,'' is a key believer that business enterprise can affect real long-term change. Hear how he activates his passion for protecting the planet by partnering with leading organizations around the world to help develop innovative ways that sustain life on earth for future generations. Also enjoy his wise words on the concept of a "Shared Humanity."
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Connect with Ron via website | linkedin | twitter | facebook | instagram | youtube
Connect with Floating in Darkness via facebook
Natalie Rekstad, CEO & Founder of Black Fox Philanthropy, shares on her touching journey of growing up impoverished and the steps she had to take to turn adversity into a vehicle of change. Hear how she uses her passion for impact to build purpose within her own life and the lives of others through her innovative company that provides an open source fundraising blueprint to global and domestic non-profits.
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Connect with Natalie via linkedin | facebook | instagram
Connect with Black Fox Philanthropy via website | twitter
As a young boy Sasha Strauss realized how powerfully influential TV advertising was over human free will & how that could be a power for bad or good. That realization, as well as being raised by parents who dedicated their lives to service, made him choose a path of good and kick started his 25 year career as a successful brand strategist. Hear how his company, Innovation Protocol, defined brands for leading corps, faiths, NGO’s & academic institutions & taught how to integrate purpose into their message.
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connect with Sasha via website | linkedin | twitter
connect with innovation protocol via website | linkedin | twitter | instagram | facebook
#InnovationProtocol #BrandStrategy #Branding #PersonalBranding #CSR #BrandExperience #BrandInnovation #EmployerBranding #InternalBranding #ThoughtLeadership #Professor #SashaStrauss
Meet Nathan Irons, founder of the new disruptive life insurance company called Bluestone Life. Before you hit the snooze button hearing the word “Insurance,” you are in for a fascinating story! Listen how this impressive systems thinking man walked a multi-faceted career path from the US Navy, finance, starting & three businesses-all leading him to re-imagining the life insurance industry. Learn how his innovative "Premiums for Purpose" policies give back in real time & posthumously to people & the planet.
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#practicalactivists #premiumswithpurpose #betterbusiness #bcorps
Life can be unpredictable. Sometimes, something can arise that completely changes the direction we thought we wanted, shifting us to things that actually end up being our purpose. That is the touching and uplifting story of Mitra Ahouraian, Esq. Listen to Mitra poetically describe life growing up as the daughter of Iranian Immigrants in Los Angeles, and being on the career path to medicine, when her father's unexpected illness shifted her original purpose to the impactful work she does now in law.
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Michael Schibel had an epiphany that his successful career as a talent agent was both unfulfilling and not his life purpose. What did he do? He put his passion for travel since a teenager into action! Quitting his job & selling it all, he left for what he calls his "grateful journey." The meaningful experiences on that trip sparked his brilliant new platform and podcast called "Travel with Meaning." Travel With Meaning is a lifestyle & content brand connecting people through authentic travel storytelling.
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connect via website | podcast | linkedin | facebook | instagram | youtube
Jon Macaskill is a retired Navy SEAL Commander turned mindfulness & meditation teacher. During his time in the service, he struggled with mental health. Trying several interventions, it wasn't until he discovered mindfulness that he truly transcended his struggle & turned it into his life purpose. Listen how Jon created several companies that bring mindfulness & meditation to high performing teams to aid in dealing with stress, anxiety and depression all while increasing focus, creativity, and productivity.
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connect with Jon via website | linkedin | facebook | instagram | linktr.ee
Maggie Baird is not only the Founder of Support+Feed, based in LA with 3 U.S. chapters. She also happens to be the ever supportive mom of talented award-winning musicians, Billie Eilish and Finneas. Listen as Maggie shares her incredible purpose journey, her impactful role in the lives & industry of her children, and details about her small but mighty NGO that fights climate crisis injustice, food insecurity, and feeds homeless families nutritious plant-based meals prepared by local restaurants.
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connect to Support + Feed via website | instagram | facebook
connect with Maggie via instagram
Get ready to take flight as you hear this extraordinary career and life tale of Daniel Robinson, Founder & CEO of the innovative tech company Red6. Hear Daniel share the many complex and profound layers of his personal journey and the lessons that led him where he is today--revolutionizing augmented reality (AR) for military training applications worldwide with patented display technology that augments the joint space through a suite of products designed to support synthetic training environments (STE).
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Jorian & Topher Wilkins are the power couple, COO and CEO, behind the meaningful impact focused community & annual convening event called Opportunity Collaboration...OC for short. They each had pivotal moments when they realized the paths they were on did not align with their desires to do more for the world. Listen how those aha moments led to their brainchild of this mighty heart connecting experience referred to as the "un-conference" that delivers measurable global change from collaborating delegates.
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connect via website
At the very young age of 26 Carrie Rich, CEO and Co-Founder of Global Good Fund, experienced first-hand what it was like for someone of a senior position to see something special in her and become her mentor. That experience made her feel valued, heard, & like she could do anything. It also sparked her #pivot2purpose epiphany that if everyone had the opportunity to have a real mentor in a strategic way, they would have an additional edge to succeed at anything they chose to do as well...and so GGF was born.
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Imagine conceptualizing and executing a HUGE undertaking, mobilizing Americans to hold hands in one continuous line across the country to raise money for poverty AND in an era with zero digital communication and barely a cell phone. That's exactly what Ken Kragen, Co-CEO of Good Hands Productions, not only executed but raised hundreds of millions.. Hear as this Legend in Purpose describes how he led many impact projects like Hands Across America and We Are the World & learn what's coming next.
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connect via website
Ever hear the term Employee Experience & curious what it means? Hear the story of my epic guest & seasoned Employee Experience Leader, Mark Levy and how he's been on the forefront of transforming the usual role of human resources beyond benefits, salaries and minimal requirements companies think make happy, engaged, loyal employees into something greater. Mark shares how he pioneered Employee Experience inside companies like Levis, The Gap, and Airbnb and the impact it made on his employees & his own life.
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My life story has been one of great adversity. When others ask how I got through it, I always tell them that living a purpose driven life-doing what I could to help people and the planet-was the course that lifted me out of many painful experiences and led to my resilience. Over the years while living my life and work on purpose, I met so many other incredible purpose driven people with great stories, I wanted to create a show that shined a spotlight on them and inspired others to recognize theirs.
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Accomplishing any goals or dreams in life can be challenging enough, but imagine an unexpected and rare medical affliction paralyzing you at the age of 15, changing the course of those goals and dreams forever. David Cooks-Speaker, Educator, Coach, and Author of Getting Undressed: From Paralysis to Purpose, shares his compelling story of how becoming a T-6 paraplegic didn't derail his life goals or dreams, but in fact propelled him to accomplish more and enact his life's purpose.
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connect via website | linkedin | twitter | instagram | facebook
James Bidwell is co-founder of Re_Set, a leading next generation strategy consultancy for innovation and sustainability whose mission is to ensure its clients thrive in a disrupted world. Re_Set empowers and equips businesses and governments to make a positive global impact and create a new vision of success. He is also the owner and Chair of Springwise, the world’s largest source of global innovations.
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connect via twitter
What happens when an early passion for purpose intersects with a skilled career in tech? You get a genius innovator that creates one of the largest social media platforms focused on social impact by mobilizing communities to take purpose driven action. Bart Myers, founder and CEO of Countable & Causes.com shares how his upbringing combined with an early life work project ignited his desire to become a purpose-driven entrepreneur.
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connect via twitter
Indy “Rishi” Singh, wellbeing engineer, lateral thinker, healer, teacher, and the world’s first neuroplastician, faced racism and culture shock while being raised by Indian immigrant parents in America. As a child, he had loads of energy, but felt that it was often energy unserved. Growing up with Sikh philosophy, Rishi trained to be both a physical and emotional warrior. These shared experiences fashion Rishi’s pivotal belief that humans have the ability to change neural networks in the brain through growth and reorganization. Hear how Rishi is helping individuals accomplish this magnificent feat.
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connect via webiste | linkedin | twitter | facebook | substack
Dr. Nancy O’Reilly, Author, Philanthropist, Founder of Women Connect 4 Good and trailblazer for women’s empowerment, had an epiphany as a little girl that “boys had more fun!” Nancy’s early realization about the obvious inequities between genders sparked a deep knowing that her life purpose was to empower women and girls. Learn how Nancy steered her career as a licensed therapist and her growing wealth over her lifetime towards empowering women and bridging that deep disparity between the sexes.
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Physical trauma oftentimes nudges us in the direction of purpose. Laurie Mackenzie, Development Director for Canadian based NGO RAVEN Trust, shares how a head injury coupled with a family member's lineage to her indigenous heritage, instilled a massive desire to do more for First Nations and help protect the environment help dear. She also shares how these experiences led to her personal project of creating a program to change the hamster wheel of stress, anger and fear into enlightenment & positivity.
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connect to Laurie via email | instagram | facebook
connect to RAVEN Trust via website | twitter | instagram | facebook
In the late 90’s Sam Pardue, Co-Founder & CEO of Indow Windows, had an awakening. On a shared commute to work at Intel with environmental scientists, essentially climate crisis early adopters, discussions formed his views on climate & later became the motivation for creating a product that is part of the solution. Hear his powerful tale as well as his unique leadership supporting the hiring of refugees in the U.S. & Indow Window's Covid19 safety protocols adopted by over 500 companies in the U.S.
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John Stix is co-founder of Fibernetics, Canada’s top award winning workplace culture company & telecommunications innovator. He tells his story of hitting the wall, having built his dream company then finding he didn’t want to be there. A set of circumstances changed his life and inspired his journey to transform his company & himself into a workplace innovation giant. Hear how he creates a safe place for his employees to realize their dreams & the added benefit of providing deep personal fulfillment.
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Though Laura-Doss Hertz & David Hertz, founders of Skysource.org, had their own individual paths to purpose through careers in advertising, photography & architecture, they both shared a passion for protecting water and the belief that it is human kind's most precious resource. This belief resulted in a life changing idea that fueled the innovation of the self-contained, sustainable energy-water generator called WEDEW to solve water scarcity. This also granted them the prestigious XPrize award in 2018.
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Avary Kent, Co-Founder of Conveners.org & ImpactAlpha, explores what it means to achieve the most leverage in life by aligning with others, guided by purpose at its core, & how often we stand in our own way because we decide something is impossible. She reveals the value in understanding frameworks as a key step toward building partnerships & creating the vision of the world we want to live in and shares about the positive impact alternative parenting had had for her child, family and career.
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Founder Kathryn Hall-Trujillo, wise and loving founder of The Birthing Project now in 30 countries, shares her story of being a young girl at the epicenter of the civil rights movement and how that shaped the principles of her powerful organization. As she says, "We rest on the shoulders of those who have come before us." She also reflects on life lessons The Birthing Project gave her --the the gift of learning how to dwell in the light & the unexpected power in making the choice to minister to oneself.
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Mahdis Keshavarz, founder of Make Agency, a PR agency focused on social justice, shares how being an Iranian immigrant in the U.S. inspired the inception of her unique, but much needed PR agency, and discusses how to maintain a social justice perspective in a chaotic PR world. She also shares how in order to make effective global change we need to look in your own backyard, just as she does, by leveraging her global work & her area of expertise to fuel results for causes close to her heart and her home.
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Abbey Wimmeo, Co-founder and Co-CEO of EssuRents.com, shares an impressionable memory of how his mother’s inability to get a simple bank account was due to lack of financial identity-- a problem that affects millions in the world. Hear how this inspired his brilliant platform solution designed to leverage one's rent, enabling and empowering one to buy a first home.Hear too how Esusu addresses the affordable housing shortage with their Rental Relief Fund created to support those affected by Covis19.
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As the grandson and grand-daughter-in-law of legendary Jacques Cousteau, Philippe and Ashlan Cousteau are not only carrying out the family legacy of ocean advocacy. They are also successful ocean explorers, activists, authors, & flimmakers in their own right. Listen as they share how a purpose driven life motivates their ocean saving initiatives, such as their youth strategy devised to empower youth through their family NGO Earth Echo International, & an oceans survival tool kit collabed with Oceans Unite.
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Successful social entrepreneur and philanthropist Doug Pitt shares how best business practices are key to creating philanthropic powerhouses. He also describes how issues around the lack of accessible, clean water globally spoke to his soul and was a big first step into his passion for social impact. Hear too how Doug is taking another #pivot2purpose putting his hidden filmmaking talents to use on a project intended to spark dialogue around social justice, another issue that deeply speaks to his soul.
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connect via website
Kate Williams, CEO of global NGO 1% for the Planet, reveals how her #pivot2purpose came on an outdoor adventure gone awry, yet ended with victory and guided her to the purpose path she leads today. She describes how the significant pledge 1% FTP brands have made over the last 15 years totaling roughly 250 million dollars has translated to tangible impact on environmental causes and the NGO's that champion the planet. Hear too how 1% made a pivot from in an person network to digital in a pandemic world.
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Malte Hagemeister and Kristian Nord, founders of California Music, are continuing to push the creative boundaries in music, film, and advertising. With over 8 million records sold and 60 Gold and Platinum records awarded, Malte and Kristian are innovative composers and producers looking to bring purpose into the world of music and use their art for a better cause. Hear how these two are using their talent to inspire and create meaningful collaborations of purpose in the music industry.
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Connect with California Music via website | instagram | facebook | linkedin
Connect with Malte via instagram and Kristian via instagram
#wearecaliforniamusic #music